Welcome to Linden
Rinaldi's Market
Linden
Holy Cross Catholic Church
Linden Publications - 5353 Harrison Street - Linden
LInden Bean Processing.- 1944 - Donna's mother is the sixth one from the left in the while shirt with rolled up jeans (the cute one)
Bees in the Cherry orchard
Photo by Ken Vogel
De Vinci's - 18847 Front Street
Moore School - 1920s - photo courtesy of Joanne Carmiho
This village of about 400 population is situated on what was known
in the early days as the Mokelumne Hill road twelve to thirteen
miles from Stockton in a northeasterly direction, and two miles
south of the Calaveras river. Originally this point was known as
the Fifteen-Mile House, and then as Foreman's ranch up to August,
1862, when it was laid out by Mr. Foreman and given its present name
by J. Wasley. In the spring of 1849, when water covered nearly all
the country around, two brothers named William D. (a doctor) and
John Trebilcock, who were freighting to the mines, noticed the
highest point of land in the valley on this route, and, soon
afterward locating here, opened a public house, which was at first
merely a rough board shanty. It was named the Fifteen-Mile House,
on account of its distance by road at that time from Stockton. In
the summer of 1851 they put up a better building, and afterward made
additions. Subsequently these brothers sold the house to C. C.
Rynerson, who married their cousin, Mary Wasley, and who was
afterward sheriff of this county. The latter sold to Foreman &
Beritzhoff, and it was long known as the Foreman ranch.
After Mr. Rynerson, the second settler, came John Haines, Samuel
Foreman and A. C. Beritzhoff, the last two being the later
proprietors of the tavern just mentioned.
The Moore school-house was the first built in the township, Linden
being a part of the district: it was on Charles Hayden's ranch. In
August, 1858, the Jefferson school district was formed, taking in
the present village sites, and that year the first school-house was
built. In 1862 the name of Linden was given to the district. In
1864 the old school-house was burned down, and since then several
new ones have been erected.
The flour-mill was first built in 1854, by John Doak, and N.
Burroughs, who ran it for about two years. In 1859 it was sold to
C. C. Rynerson and John Wasley, who operated it until 1865, when it
was destroyed by fire. The following year they rebuilt, and again
the new mill was burned in 1868. Then the Linden Flouring Mill
Company was organized and still another mill was erected, in 1871, a
three-story brick at a cost of $35,000. Its name from 1854 to 1859
was the "Calaveras Mill," then it was the "State Mills" until 1860,
when it was changed to "Linden Mills." It has been idle for a
number of years.
The first store at Linden was started in 1856 by Thomas McCarter,
who in April, 1857, was succeeded by Wasley & Rynerson and they in
1860 by E Case and J. S. Smith, and the latter afterward to Prather
& Aull, etc.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, at Linden, was organized in
1855, with Rev. Ira Taylor as pastor. The first services had been
help by Thomas Barton, in the old Moore school-house. In 1857 they
erected a church edifice, at a cost of $2,000. Rev. R. F. Beasley
is the present pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal Church (North) at Linden have for their
pastor Rev. H. L. Gregory, who also has in his charge a church at
Farmington, preaching in each place on alternate Sundays.
There is also a Catholic church at Linden.
Valley Lodge, No. 135, F. & A. M., was organized July 27,
1858, with the following charter members: J. C. Pendergrast, J. C.
Reid, J. H. Cook, James H. Garnder, Thomas T. Wasley, J. S. Haines,
W. B. Stamper, J. F. Howard, W. H. Russell, Thomas T. Brook and T.
W. Jarred. Pendergrast was W. M.
Scio Lodge, No. 102, I. O. O. F., was organized June 13,
1861, with the following officers and members: John Wasley, N. G.;
C. W. Leach, V. G.; I . Smith, Sec; Andrew Showers, Thomas
McCarter, C. W. Martin, and C. Oxtoby.
A grange was organized here in 1873, a Good Templar society in 1878,
etc.
In 1887 the people, by vote, introduced the grammar-school course,
and during the month of June, 1990 three girls and two boys
graduated herein. There are six classes (graded) in the primary and
four in the grammar course, which later comprises "high-school"
studies. The principal is J. S. Moulton, while Mrs. Moulton has
charge of the intermediate classes and Miss Agnes Fine of the
primary. The school has a good philosophical apparatus, purchased
about three years ago, and a good library of 300 volumes, including
a cyclopedia. There are about 130 scholars, averaging over a
hundred in daily attendance.
Linden
This little village, located in one of
the prettiest sections of the county, amidst a forest of giant oaks,
was first located in 1849 by a teamster named William T. Treblecock.
He was hauling freight to the mountain camps and one day during the
winter, while driving on the Mokelumne Hill road, he mired in the
mud near the present town of Linden. Going on a prospecting search
for high land he found it at the locality named. The elevation being
high, he believed it a good location for a stage and teamsters'
station, and that fall he built there a public house, known as the
Fifteen Mile House, at that time being about that distance from
Stockton. In time Treblecock sold the hotel to C. C. Rynerson, who
had married Mary Wasley, a cousin of Mr. Treblecock.
Again the tavern was sold, together
with considerable farming land, 1,500 acres to Samuel Forman. Forman
took in as a partner to manage the hotel Alexander C. Bertzhoff, who
years after became one of the proprietors of the Stockton
Independent. A general merchandising store was established there in
1856 by Thomas McCarter. He sold out in '57 to John Wasley and
Rynerson, he and his brother, James Wasley, having bought land on
that vicinity in 1852. In 1860 the store was sold to Edward Case and
J. S. Smith, who sold to Prater & Aull. In 1861 the town boasted of
Masonic, Odd Fellows and Temperance lodges, a hotel, three stores,
postoffice, blacksmith and wagon shop, schoolhouse, church and flour
mill. In August, 1861, the town was surveyed by the county surveyor,
George E. Drew, the block laid off together with six streets, the
Mokelumne Hill road being the main street. The town was named
Linden, a name suggested by John Wasley.
The first school in the district was on
the Charles Hayden ranch and known as the Moore schoolhouse. In 1858
the Jefferson school district was formed and a school established in
Linden. This building was destroyed by fire in 1864 and replaced by
a much better school building, subsequently four other school
buildings were erected, on the same site as the first house. Last
year a handsome $20,000 brick building was erected and the
contractor, John Lewis, was a former pupil in the school.
The citizenship of the Linden district
has always been of a high standard, not only in politics but in
temperance and morality. There was a reason, it was settled up by a
high class of men and they would not tolerate any lawlessness in
that community. There were never more than one or two saloons in
Linden, and they were abolished as soon as it was lawfully possible.
The first religious service in that section was held in the Moore
schoolhouse in 1855 by the Rev. Thomas Barton, a minister of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South. The church was regularly organized
at that time with the Rev. Ira Taylor as pastor. Two years later
they erected a $2,000 house of worship.
The Methodist Episcopal Church, North,
also had an organization at Linden with the Rev. H. L. Gregory as
pastor, the church being dedicated July 7, 1864.
The Catholics had an organization and edifice
in Linden. Erecting a new church in 1884 it was dedicated in
September by the Archbishop Patrick Riordan, assisted by the parish
priest, Father Cassin.
Valley lodge No. 135, F. & A. M., was
instituted July 27, 1858, with the following officers: J. C.
Pendegast, worthy master; J. C. Reid, senior warden; J. H. Cook,
junior warden; M. M. Gardner, secretary; Thomas T. Wasley,
treasurer; W. B. Stamper, senior deacon; J. S. Haines, junior
deacon; William H. Russell, tyler, and the following additional
charter members: J. H. Cook, J. E. Howland, Thomas T. Brook and J.
W. Jarred.
The Odd Fellows lodge of Linden, Scio
No. 102, was organized June 13, 1861, by Deputy District Grand
Master Calvin C. Covell of Stockton. The following officers were
elected and installed: John Wasley, noble grand; Thomas MacCarter,
vice grand; Isaac Smith, secretary. The additional charter members
included Charles W. Leach, Andrew Showers, C. W. Martin and Charles
Oxtoby. All of these lodges met in the second story of the school
building, but on the evening of February 11, 1865, while the Good
Templar lodge was in session, the building caught fire from an
overheated stove and was destroyed. The second story of the brick
warehouse was then converted into lodge rooms and handsomely fitted
up at a cost of $4,000. The Masons and Odd Fellows still occupy this
hall. They have only a working membership, for the pioneers are dead
and the majority of the young men have moved away. The Linden Flour MillThe Linden flour mill, conducted under
three different names, has had numerous change of owners. It was
built in 1854 by John Doak and N. Burroughs and in 1857 they sold
out to Rynerson & Wasley. In 1865 the mill was destroyed by fire,
and rebuilt, again went up in smoke in 1868. In 1871 the Linden
Flour Mill Company was organized and they erected a brick mill
costing them about $35,000. The mill turned out 120 barrels of flour
a day, but competition made the running of the mill a losing game
and it has been idle many years. |
Moore School - 1920s - photo courtesy of Joanne Carmiho